Critic is Magic
by Vuld Edone
Summary: This is season one, episode one, Twilight is sent to Ponyville and there is no Nightmare Moon. There is no rush, so she actually tries to make friends...


**I wasn't expecting to read much, even less leaving comments but bad habits followed. This story is about my comments. Somebody reacted to them, then another. So this story is my reaction to their reaction to my reaction to their texts.**

**To make it happen, I repeated S01E01 without Nightmare Moon's threat, then reduced it to a long dialog where Twilight is my own voice. **

* * *

><p>Spike and Twilight were on the carriage, on their way to Ponyville. The dragon was rereading Celestia's letter: to supervise the preparations at Ponyville, and to make friends.<p>

"Isn't this great?"  
>"I suppose it is, Spike." She was, however, lacking any enthousiasm.<br>"Come on! You're going to stay at the town's library! Doesn't that make you happy?"  
>"Yes. Yes it does. But making friends? I thought I already had friends back in Canterlot. I'm actually missing Moondancer's party for this assignment."<br>"You weren't going to that party anyway! You barely see anypony back there!"  
>"And I will barely see anyone in this town. I will stay only for one or two days, remember?"<br>"It's not the same th-"

But they had arrived, Twilight thanked the guards and they left the carriage behind. As a pinky pony approached, Spike said: "Just, trust me, just try!" And she tried, and the pony screamed and left in a hurry. So with that done they began supervising, beginning with Sweet Apple Acres. She'd only made a few steps in the farm when Applejack appeared shacking her hoof and proposed a brunch, which she accepted. So she was soon overwhelmed with all sorts of apple receipts.

"Well… you are all sure I'm not imposing?"  
>"Sure! Go an' eat up!"<p>

She did, taking the apple roll first to taste it. It was sweet, light and fresh, and she quickly ate it with pleasure. Yet she had felt it was a tiny bit sour, probably lacking of cream.

"So, do ya like it?"  
>"Sure! It was a bit sour, but I really liked it!"<br>"What do ya mean a bit sour?"  
>"Well, I'm not very sure. By the last bites I felt it. I would guess it could need a bit more cream…"<p>

But her tone had already faded.

"Heh! This roll was a lot of work! Wha' da ya know 'bout all this?"  
>"Nothing, I just thought-"<br>"Is there a problem with this apple pie too?"  
>"Eh!" Spike intervened. "Leave her alone! She's telling you she likes it! She likes it a lot!"<br>"Then why the hay does she nicky-pick on our' work!"  
>"Because she is honest! It's easy to say 'I like it' and be done with it! She wanted to show you she cared, she offered interest in your work! And she wanted to hide nothing from you!"<br>"Well… if that's the case… I s'ppose it's fine…"

But even in her embarrassment it was explicit, she was seeing Twilight as a pesky little brat, and they would never be friends. So the unicorn offered to leave, and she didn't need to do much for that. Once away, as they were searching the pegasus in charge of the weather, she asked Spike:

"Why did I say what I thought? I'm so stupid!"  
>"Don't be hard on yourself, Twilight! But being honest isn't always a good thing."<br>"Or, being honest is not enough. Maybe I didn't care enough."

Then they reported their attention to the sky, at which point Rainbow Dash smashed her in the mud, then washed and dried her up, before presentations unfolded. Twilight told the pegasus about her duty, at which she answered she was practicing for the Wonderbolts. She wanted to answer, but immediately remembered what had happened when she was too honest. Maybe telling her that would hurt her feelings. So she decided to encourage her on the contrary:

"Well… if you say your moves are that impressive, I believe you!"  
>"Really? I mean, of course they are!"<br>"Okay then, I entrust the sky of Ponyville to you!"

And it was all. The blue pegasus kept floating on her cloud, without much else to say. It was like that Dash wasn't interested in her anymore. So she insisted:

"I just thought, why not start your own flying team?"  
>"What do you mean?"<p>

That was the interest Twilight was hoping for.

"If you want to impress the Wonderbolts, you could make your group known, and with you as the captain, you would undoubtedly bring their attention."  
>"You think so?" Then: "But who're going to be my teammates?"<br>"What? You don't have pegasi friends who would follow you?"  
>"Eh! I have lots of friends, miss!"<br>"Why are you upset? I only s-"  
>"One of my friends is even a griffon, I'll let you know!"<br>"Please stop-"  
>"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a sky to clean!"<p>

And with that she dashed away.

"Spike! What happened? What did I do wrong? Why was she so mad at me? I don't understand anything anymore!"  
>"Calm down, Twilight!"<br>"But bu- bu- but it's the second friend I'm trying to make, and it's the second time I'm yelled at! Am I so bad with ponies? Am I cursed?"  
>"Don't be ridiculous! It was all a misunderstanding, I'm sure! You said a thing, she understood another. That's all! By the way, nice hair."<p>

Somewhat reassured, Twilight went to the Carousel where decorations were put in place. Rarity was there, and the moment she noticed the hair she had to help her correct this mess. Suddenly Twilight mentioned Canterlot, which made the unicorn burst of joy:

"I'm sure we're going to be the best friends!"  
>"Really? You wouldn't mind having me as a friend?"<br>"Of course not!"  
>"This is amazing! I feel like Daring Doo right now!<br>"Beg your pardon?"  
>"Daring Doo. You haven't read her adventures? She's a fierce adventurer defying temples full of traps and mad organizations! I could lend you the books, I have the whole collection!"<br>"Eh eh. I'ts fine! I'll let that occasion pass!"  
>"Are you sure?"<br>"No doubt about it! And I'm sure you read others, more refined books!"  
>"Well, I do read a lot, mostly encyclopedia and tomes about magic…"<br>"Oh dear."  
>"Right now I'm reading diamond resonance, a book a century old. It's fascinating."<br>"I'm… sure… it is delightful."  
>"But I didn't ask you what you read."<br>"Oh! Not… much… you know! The same as you, dear."  
>"It's… great."<br>"It is, isn't it?"  
>"I… think I have to go."<br>"It's too bad! I hope you will come again and see me!"  
>"Sure… sure. The hope is shared."<p>

They walked away a bit, with Spike lost in his feelings while Twilight couldn't stop wondering what had happened. She felt it was just forced, and she had no word to express that.

"Spike," she finally said, "do you think she's my friend?"  
>"That would be great. It would give us a reason to return."<br>"But does this reason exist?"  
>"It would, if you stopped reading things that nopony cares about. You could read romances, follow fashion, wear dresses and ribbons! You know, what fillies are meant to do!"<br>"Why didn't she tell me that?"  
>"I don't know! I was too busy admiring her while she was rejecting you…"<p>

Yet they were near the last place to supervise, where Fluttershy was making birds sing. Twilight came to her and said: "Hello!" Which scared the birds. So Fluttershy came to her while she was telling her how beautiful the music was, and she saw she was shy. But herself, after all these encounters, was shy also. So they both rubbed their hoof on the ground, and looked away. And they both, lowering their voice more and more, tried to answer each other in vain. At this moment Fluttershy saw the baby dragon, screamed and ran to him, talking to him and asking questions.

"Well, I'm happy you decided to open to us."  
>"Mh mh" the pegasus answered, her eyes on Spike.<br>"So… do you like music?"  
>"Mh mh" she answered again, nodding a bit.<p>

And there Twilight watched the two talk. And as they talked she waited, sit at first, then lain down on the ground.

"I will let you two talk. I'll be at the library."  
>"Mh mh."<p>

But when Spike saw Twilight leave, he quickly took leave of the pegasus to rush and join her.

"Why are you leaving? She wants to be friend with us!"  
>"With you, maybe. She ignored me completely."<br>"That's wrong and you know it! All you had to do was to join us!"  
>"I tried. But you formed a friendly group in which there was no place for me."<p>

Their assignment finished, they entered the library, with Spike still arguing.

"Don't be so dramatic! You're too serious, if you ask me! Lighten up! It would help a lot for making friends!"  
>"No, Spike. I'm done trying. My assignment is finished, I'll report to Celestia, then leave. I don't think there is even one pony in all of Ponyville that will miss me."<p>

At that moment the light came on and they discovered all the ponies assembled, and the festive atmosphere. Pinkie Pie jumped right in front of them, excited, and she explained in details why the party and her intention to make her meet a lot of friends.

"Stop. Pinkie Pie, right?"  
>"That's me!"<br>"Do you do this for anypony you don't know?"  
>"Anypony and more! I don't give up until we are the best of friends!"<br>"How many friends do you have, exactly?"  
>"One hundred and eighty-six! Eighty-seven with you! You never have enough friends, especially when you like having friends like I do!"<br>"No, Pinkie Pie. You're friendly, but you're not a friend. You're nice with me, you laugh and smile and you have made a party for me. But in the end, I'm just one among others, and you're just friendly by default."  
>"Nuh-huh! Not at all! I care for everyone the same! Don't be grim, just have fun! How can you enjoy others if you don't enjoy yourself?"<br>"See? You are looking for entertainment, I search values."  
>"You'll be all serious and scary later, but right know it's time to party! Don't you want to meet all those ponies who want to be friends?"<br>"I already met them. One believes I'm a liar. One, that I'm mean. One thinks I'm abusing her trust and one didn't even acknowledge my existence. You, you barely know my name, and you claim to be a better friend than those I knew for years."  
>"Oh I know you Twilight Sparkle! Or at least I know enough to know you're really alone! And my friends told me what happened, but that's already the past! Please, just try to smile! For me!"<br>"I am smiling."  
>"That's not a smile! Well, technically it is, but trust me it isn't!"<br>"I know. Call me friend if you want, I'll call you friend to please you. See? I'm smiling. You can return to your other friends, now. And if you don't like not being able to laugh with me, then laugh for me. You're a good pony, Pinkie Pie. You just haven't realized laughter isn't enough."

With those words she went on the first floor, where she still had to convince Pinkie Pie to leave her alone, at the sole condition that they would see each other later, and with that vague promise Twilight called Spike and asked him to write her report:

"Dear Princess,

The preparations are done. Food is ready and delicious. The sky has been cleared before nightfall. Decorations are in place, you will like them. And I heard the music, it will be splendid.  
>As for making friends, I'm afraid I've failed. I haven't made one, yet I've learned a lot. I've learned that honesty, or loyalty, or generosity, or kindness, or laughter alone aren't enough. I've learned what friends I really wanted. Ponies with whom I could speak without fearing their reactions. Ponies who like me serious and constantly in my studies. Ponies who await me despite all of my flaws. I miss the fillies of Canterlot.<p>

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

"But you didn't make any friend! Do you really think that's okay?"  
>"No it's not. But I've more than friends, and want it or not, it will suffice. I have you Spike.<p> 


End file.
